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NCC Response to the Brooklyn Minute, 05-2015

Brooklyn Monthly Meeting

Ted Ehrhardt, Clerk

Box 6123

Brooklyn, NY 11202-6123

Dear Friends,

At our meeting during Spring Sessions 2015, Nurture Coordinating Committee considered at length the minute that Brooklyn Friends had approved regarding New York Yearly Meeting’s continuing support of Friends United Meeting while FUM’s personnel policy discriminating against non-celibate LGBT Quakers serving as volunteers or staff remains in place.

Several years ago, many of our monthly meetings and individual Friends discerned how our yearly meeting would respond to this concern. At that time, our decision was to stay engaged with FUM. We knew this decision would need to be reviewed and revisited as things progressed. We welcome your bringing the concern forward again as it gives us all a chance to continue to reflect and discern the best way forward. We agree with the Yearly Meeting clerk that it should go first to New York Quarter for further seasoning.

In addition, Nurture Coordinating Committee has asked the FUM representatives to contact Brooklyn Meeting and make themselves available for listening to Brooklyn Meeting's concerns and leading, and for sharing their experiences on the FUM Board and in the FUM community. While the personnel policy has not changed, our representatives have seen a change in the culture of members of the FUM Board in regard to having openly LGBT Friends serving as Board members.

We appreciate Brooklyn’s attention to this matter, and I would be happy to speak with you as well.